The Starfall Exequies
by Tala Mitena
Summary: I had to find you the younger boy murmured back, lifting his gaze to the sky once more and wincing as he watched a star blink and sputter. It saved me, Sora. Abandoned Project.
1. Prologue: Numbers in the Dark

Author's Note: So…this is the first chapter, or prologue, rather, of a fanfic I've been thinking up for about two months now. It required a lot of planning, and so I hope it is received well. It's basically a Kingdom Hearts 3 type of thing, based on the secret ending of KH2 as well as on something my friend Shiro found on wikipedia. We're not sure how it got onto wikipedia, but it did, and I liked it, so I decided to play with it. Thanks goes to Shiro for finding that and helping me with some character designs.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. I do, however, lay _some_ claim to any characters you do not recognize.

_The Starfall Exequies_

Prologue: "Numbers in the Dark"

His body was wracked with pain and trembled violently as he stumbled forward, out of the darkness, gasping for breath and clutching his sides. Vision swimming, he groped for a wall, found one, and leaned against it heavily.

The darkness…it still hurt to use, but it was the only way to save Her.

"Tikx!" a voice called, sounding faded and, oh, so far away as thundering footsteps clambered towards him.

"Where is Nirvax?" he asked, words slurring, as he strained his eyes, forcing them to focus on the slight thing before him. It was a boy, barely eighteen by the looks of him, with a shock of red hair and wild green eyes. He was pale, so much so that his white robe threatened to blend with his milky skin.

"Nirvax is in the throne room. Where have you been?" the boy asked, pulling Tikx's arm around his shoulders and hoisting him away from the wall.

"Take me to him," Tikx snapped, still struggling for breath.

The boy started down the long corridor, careful to shield Tikx's bright eyes from the dim light of the many candelabras that graced the cold, stone walls, which were thick with moss and reeking of mildew. Briefly, he wondered if, after living for the darkness for a long while, one would lose the ability to see in the light.

"Tikx," he began softly, "you shouldn't be - "

"Take me to Nirvax!" the older man cried, his eyes snapping open. The boy shrunk into himself a little, frightened by the manic look that swam in those sapphire orbs, framed by wisps of dark hair.

"I've found Him," Tikx offered quietly, as some type of explanation that the boy did not understand.

"Found who, Tikx?"

"He can help us. The Master."

The boy's viridian eyes widened suddenly, glimmering with awe, and his hushed whisper echoed that same emotion.

"The Master? You've found the Key- "

"Shut up!" Tikx interjected, pressing a finger against the redhead's lips. "We need to tell Nirvax first. If the others find out before he does, it will ruin everything. You know how they are."

"The other's are gone. Neldalvx is the only one here."

Tikx slipped away from the boy, sliding down a wall to slump at the bottom and pant for breath.

"I'll go to them, Tikx. I'll tell them you've found Him. Nirvax will let you rest once he's heard the news."

The older man nodded slowly and the green-eyed boy dashed down the hall, smiling to himself.

This was it. Tikx had found Him. Everything was so close now. It was just a matter of time before he returned to his home, and finished what he started. It was just a matter of time before they were all whole again. Now that Tikx had found Him, they could save Her.

And She, in turn, could save them.

"Nirvax!" he cried, bursting through the doors of the throne room in a rush of excitement. His voice echoed through the pitch-black walls, sliding over silver inlay and ruby accents and the ivory floor, which exuded cold as he crossed it to stand before a large ebony throne.

"Hush, Xydarj," a tall man crooned from where he was stretched across the throne. Pale blonde hair pooled over his broad shoulders and his dark eyes danced dangerously as he smiled at the redhead, twirling his fingers in the dark hair that was spilling across his lap.

"Neldalvx is not feeling well today, and there is no reason to be so excited as to bother him," the blonde man whispered.

"Nirvax, Tikx is back," Xydarj explained, much calmer now that he had been chided.

Nirvax's dark eyes narrowed and he straightened, the mass of body curled at his feet shifting position and grunting in displeasure as its pillow moved. Pale hands clutched at a head of jet-black hair and Nirvax placed his own head over them.

"Where has he been?" he hissed, gently moving the hands he held and again cradling the head in his lap.

"He wouldn't say," the boy answered, his head shaking and his smooth, chin-length hair dancing in front of his eyes in strips of copper. "But he did say that he found _Him_."

"Found who?" Nirvax snapped, teeth flashing and eyes glowing.

"The Master, Nirvax. He's found the Keyblade Master."

The head resting in Nirvax's lap snapped upwards and angry orange eyes locked onto Xydarj.

"Why isn't he reporting this himself?" the man snarled, pointed white teeth bared threateningly. "He has more information, doesn't he? And he'd be much more considerate about delivering it!"

"Now, now, Neldalvx," Nirvax crooned softly, pulling Neldalvx's dark hair away from his face and tying it back loosely with a strip of leather that had been curled on his thigh. "You know as well as I do that Xydarj is the most sensible among us, despite being so young."

Pausing, Nirvax glanced up at the boy and narrowed his obsidian eyes dangerously. But as he spoke, his tone remained eerily calm and possessed an almost singsong quality.

"And, as such, you think he'd realize that it would have been wisest to send Tikx himself."

"Tikx…needed rest, Nirvax," Xydarj offered weakly.

Growling, Nirvax stood quickly and snapped, "He doesn't need rest he needs practice!"

"Nirvax!" Neldalvx snarled, sitting upright finally, and glaring at the blonde.

"Oh, be quiet!" Nirvax said bitingly before calling out Tikx's name. The throne room rumbled with anger as the call echoed in the darkness before the air settled silently. Xydarj shifted his weight nervously as Nirvax scowled and Neldalvx remained silent and disgruntled.

The air before them shifted and shimmered, glowingly darkly as Tikx stepped out of the shadows, hair mussed and eyes ringed with fatigue.

"Yes, Nirvax?" he murmured breathlessly.

"Tikx," the blonde sighed, "sending Xydarj to do your dirty work, are you?"

"I'm not used to the dark- "

"Xydarj may be younger than all of us, but he is in a much higher position than you are," he growled, "Do _not_ send him to make reports that are yours to make."

Neldalvx sighed angrily and leaned back against the throne, catching the hem of Nirvax's robe and fingering it absentmindedly. The other man glanced back at him quickly before turning to Tikx and continuing.

"Where is He?"

"We can't reach him right now."

"Then what good does he do us?" Neldalvx grumbled from his seat on the floor.

"He can help us, with Dava."

"I _know_ that, Tikx," Nirvax drawled, running a hand through his golden hair, "but it still doesn't do us any good if we can't get to him."

"Use your creatures," Tikx said, gazing at the floor, expression blank and fingers curled into tight, white-knuckled fists. "The world he lives on is surrounded by light. We cannot get to him. But, the creatures…if we use them, we can make him leave his home and return to Radiant Garden."

Nirvax was silent, his brows furrowed as he processed this before speaking.

"Neldalvx," was all he said, and the dark-haired man disappeared into the darkness quickly, nodding curtly as he did so.

"He is with two others, as well," Tikx added.

"Who?"

"One is a second Master."

"A second Master?" Xydarj cried, eyes impossibly wide and mouth splitting his face with a lopsided grin. "Nirvax! Do you know what this means?"

"Yes, I know exactly what it means," Nirvax murmured, smirking to himself. "What about the third Master?"

"The third Master?" Tikx echoed, his eyes narrowed in confusion.

"There's a third?" Xydarj asked.

"If there are two, there's got to be a third. Haven't you heard of the Trinity? Or Thruallida?"

"No, Nirvax, I haven't," Tikx admitted, "and I will find the third Master."

"No matter, Tikx. If the third Master is not with the other two, you'll just waste precious time. Who _is_ with them?"

Tikx smirked and Xydarj glanced between the two older men, trying to intercept their silent exchange.

"Ah…" Nirvax sighed. "You have a plan then?"

"Yes."

"Xydarj, where is Apoxol?"

The boy scoffed and rolled his eyes. "You know just as much as I do."

"Where _could_ he be?" Nirvax snapped, lip curled in a threatening scowl.

"Tortuga, most likely," Xydarj answered, voice filled to the brim with disdain.

"Get him."

"Why? What use is he?"

"Xydarj, don't be nasty just because dear Apoxol gets to play more than you do."

"I'd get to play plenty if I were a worthless half-with, then?" Xydarj grumbled as he opened a path and, pouting, stamped through it, into the hungry darkness.

"He can help us with Dava, you say?" Nirvax asked once the boy had vanished.

"Yes, Nirvax. If we take the girl, we can get Him, and use his power."

"But we'll still need her. For Dava, and for Neldalvx."

"For Neldalvx?" Tikx asked, a glimmer of suspicion sounding in his voice. "Yes…I suppose we would need her for that."

"But we deal with Dava first, Tikx, as promised."

"Thank you, Nirvax," the blue-eyes man muttered before turning on his heel and marching out of the room.

"What do you plan on doing with me?" a voice called from a corner, shaking as it slipped coldly through the room.

"I'm going to save you, Neldalvx. You travel too easily through the darkness, so I'm going to save you," Nirvax crooned, turning towards the thin, dark-haired man and grasping his hands. "Not of word of this to the others, Neldalvx. If they ever found out…" he trailed off, pressing his forehead against the other man's cringing at the fragile feel of his impossibly pale skin.

"There aren't enough, Nirvax," Neldalvx stated, curling his fingers and digging nails into the blonde's palm.

"Make more."

"I need more energy. I'll die if I make them now."

"When Xydarj gets back with Apoxol, I will tell him he can go home. I'll tell him to wait there for the Master. He can get you the energy you need."

A third voice cut through the air, lilting and joyful as the daylight it knew long ago.

"So the brat's finally leaving us, eh? I say it's about time!" a man called, sauntering into the room, long braid swinging behind him and clear blue eyes dancing merrily. "Word on the street is that your Highness is in need of my assistance."

"Yes, Apoxol," the blonde crooned, "it's finally time we put you to good use."

"Sounds exciting," Apoxol said with a wide grin.

"I think you'll find it to your liking. Go to Radiant Garden," Nirvax instructed, smoothing out Neldalvx's hair as the other man groaned lowly, "wait for the Keyblade Masters and the girl. Then, lead them to Xydarj. Don't touch her until I give the word."

"As you wish, Nirvax," Apoxol sighed, sweeping into a melodramatic bow, clearly disappointed that he was not to be used to his full potential.

"Coordinate with him, Apoxol. I don't want your little lovers' quarrels messing this up."

"Lovers! Pah!" the brunette spat, rolling his eyes several times before he caught the blonde's stern, scolding expression and threw up his hands apologetically. "Don't worry, Nirvax. I'll play nice for now."

As Apoxol exited the room, his sullen footsteps echoing through the vast corridors beyond the heavy door, Neldalvx groaned weakly, slumping forward against Nirvax, who held the dark-haired man close.

"Soon, Neldalvx, soon," he murmured softly as the other's fingernails dug into his arms and a heavy cold dripped from them, seeping into his flesh.

He shuddered and pulled the dark-haired man closer to him, breathing shallowly as the latter pressed warm kisses along his neck.

"Hurry," Neldalvx whispered, "Hurry."


	2. Stepping Forward

Author' Note: Okie…so…after some hardcore pimping on my part, this story finally got a little bit of attention! Wooo! I realize that most of its lack of appeal has to do with the fact that all the characters in the first chapter are originals. Well, here come the good old familiar ones! Enjoy!

Oh, also, there's a slight issue with time that I had to work out. So, I just kind of assumed that the amount of time that passed from the beginning of Kingdom Hearts to the end of Kingdom Hearts 2 (including CoM and the year between its end and KH2's start) was a total of two years. So, deal with it.

* * *

_The Starfall Exequies_

Chapter One: "Stepping Forward"

* * *

Sora woke slowly, drifting silently away from his dreams, his eyes fluttering open. As the familiar view of his ceiling came into focus, he sighed contentedly, smiling and snuggling into his blankets. He still hadn't gotten used to home yet; to his bed, his mother, his friends. 

He still couldn't let himself get used to home, couldn't shake the seed of worry in the back of his mind. Every step he took was placed on a ground he was sure would crack and melt away into darkness. Every time he turned out the lights he watched the shadows for that too familiar shift of black and those blinking amber orbs – the same amber he was terrified he would see shining behind clear emerald every time he looked into Riku's eyes.

Every time these things happened, whenever doubt curled in the corners of his mind, Sora could almost feel the weight of the Keyblade hover, unseen, between his waiting fingers. It was never there, but he could feel it, knew that it would come if he needed it.

Lately, its presence had been stronger, thrumming with silent warnings and reassurance all at once.

It began with the dreams; dreams of dried, dying fields, littered with the skeletons of countless Keyblades…and those three, strange soldiers.

And then came the King's letter. When Kairi found it, Sora knew. The fight was not over. There was a new threat, new heartless…

And Sora was stuck here, completely unable to act.

Home was nice. It was more than nice. He couldn't have asked for anything more. But he had a duty to uphold. Countless worlds, and even more people, were counting on him. He couldn't just give up and let the stars fade because it was convenient for him.

Growling, Sora rolled out of bed, quickly throwing on some clothes before rushing down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"Good morning, sweetie!" his mother crooned happily, placing a messy kiss on his cheek. Two years ago he would have groaned and pushed her away, wincing as he wiped off her kiss.

But now…he just smiled, because, it was different now. It had been, ever since the darkness, and it always would be, even if he hadn't received the King's letter the other day.

"Morning," he murmured back.

"Off to the island again today?"

"Yeah."

"Just be home in time for dinner, okay?" she said, reaching over to ruffle his hair.

Sora nodded, before looking at his mother almost pleadingly and tentatively whispering, "Can Kairi and Riku come for dinner?"

"Of course!" she cried, before sighing and smiling in that soft way that only a mother can. "It seems like forever since I've last seen them. They're good kids. Sora, I'm proud of you and your friends. If the three of you put your minds to it, you can change the world. Remember that."

Before everything, before the darkness, Sora would have rolled his eyes, wondered how a kid like him could ever change the world. Now, he had, even more than his mother could ever know. With that thought, a pang of disappointment wrenched Sora's gut.

His mother didn't know about his fight against the darkness. She couldn't be proud of her son. If she had known, she would have shouted it to the world, beaming with pride.

Or, she would keep it in her heart and smother him, silently worrying about her little boy, never finding a moment's rest as she paced and wrung her hands and grew years older with every passing second.

But when he was gone, she didn't remember him. She would feel some part of herself missing, Kairi had told him as much. She had visited his mother when he was gone, when neither of them remembered him, and had told him that she'd said she felt something missing, but did not, like Kairi, know it was him. That missing piece was just some vague idea. Something that should be but was not. Not someone. Some_thing_.

She, his own mother, would forget, again. She would forget how he looked, what he sounded like, his smile…how much he loved her…everything.

But maybe it was better that way.

"You okay, honey?" she asked, eyes narrowed in concern as she placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah…I'm fine," he murmured distractedly.

"Are you sure? If something's wrong, you can tell me."

"I know, Mom. I'm sure. Everything will be fine."

"Sora…" she chided softly, questioningly.

"I'm fine. I promise," Sora murmured, placing a hand over hers and leaning in to plant a quick kiss on her cheek.

She smiled, that soft mother's smile again, and nodded before pushing him away and laughing.

"Get moving, you! I'm getting sick of your mush," she chirped with a toss of her head and a bright smile.

As he left, Sora laughed, and the sound of it seemed to cheer his mother, though he barely felt it himself. Mostly, he'd laughed for her sake. Laughter had seemed so far away since the King's letter arrived. But she had forgotten it, and would forget again soon.

What did she remember, about those lost years? Kairi remembered what it had been like to forget, but he assumed that Kairi's case was special. After all, she had never truly forgotten him. The others had, she said, but she remembered. She only forgot most of him, like a dream, she'd once told him.

So how did Selphie and Wakka and Tidus, and his mother, how did they explain those lost years, when he was gone?

And why had they remembered Riku, and Kairi?

He still had so many questions about the darkness, questions he was afraid to ask. If he asked, and found answers he would, undoubtedly, find more questions. And if he kept asking those new questions, finding answers, and asking even more questions, wouldn't he…

Wouldn't he end up just like Xehanort?

It wasn't easy, home. Not after everything had changed so very much. Not when he knew it would soon change again, but did not know when, or how to reverse it this time.

Curling his fingers and clenching his jaw, Sora concentrated on the always present, reassuring whisper of the Keyblade. He wrapped his mind around its distant murmurs and pulled at them, beginning to feel the blade take shape.

But his fingers remained empty. The air between them had changed, shifted and cooled, and felt almost solid. Almost.

Not too long ago the Keyblade would have sprung up into his hands instantly, the very material it was made of oozing excitement and eager for the coming fight.

Now, with all of his willpower and strength and desire, he could barely feel it. It just kind of…hung there…trapped between his thoughts and reality, refusing to surface. Or, perhaps, unable to.

That last thought terrified Sora, sending small tremors through his frame.

What would he do if he couldn't use the Keyblade? The worlds would crumble. Stars would fall. Kairi would…

And Riku…

Pouting resolutely, Sora pushed away all thoughts of darkness and lost years and forced himself to get used to being home.

Because, even if there were worlds falling and stars fading, he did not know how to save them.

Not anymore.

* * *

"…_we might not be able to come back."_

Whenever Sora set foot on Paopu Island, he remembered.

"_There's no turning back."_

He remembered it. Every time. He remembered and he prayed and hoped, every time they locked eyes, every time he crossed that bridge, that this time, he would forget to remember.

"_I'm not afraid of the darkness!"_

Breathing in deeply, and clenching his fists, setting his mind against dark memories and forcing his lips to spread into a smile he knew was forced, he stepped forward, off of the worn planks and onto the soft sand.

"Riku!" he called, running towards that leaning tree his friend was so fond of. When he was younger, Sora always thought that it was leaning for the sea, reaching out, trying to hold the water.

_Silly tree,_ he would think, _it will only slip away._

"Hey," he chirped, clambering to rest next to his friend, who smiled softly at him.

"_Take care of her."_

That smile…it always made him remember. That smile that had melted Riku's features that day, long, long ago, when the door was closed.

"Mom says to invite you and Kairi over for dinner tonight."

"I'll be there," Riku replied, tossing his head so that his wispy, starlight bangs fell back, revealing his bright eyes. Sora was relieved to find no hint of yellow there, and he wondered when he would be able to look at Riku without worrying about amber.

"She…she told me to remember, that if the three of us put our minds to it, we can change the world."

The silver-haired boy blinked silently at him, his smile saddening ever so slightly.

"She's right," he whispered after a moment.

Sora laughed. Sora laughed and he, maybe, meant it. It was only with Riku that he could laugh like that now.

"Yeah, she is."

"_If the world is made of light and darkness…"_

Sora turned his head away quickly. He didn't like it when he remembered. Riku could always tell when he was remembering, and Riku…

Well, Riku always seemed saddened by it. Sora knew that the older teen blamed himself for much of what happened, but Sora also knew that _he_ was to blame.

He knew what Riku's reason for turning to the darkness was, and he was that reason.

"_We'll be the darkness."_

"Riku - "

"Sora, don't," Riku interrupted, placing a hand on Sora's shoulder and smiling at him.

Nodding, Sora smiled back. There was one thing that he remembered at times like these, one thing he remembered and did not want to forget.

It hadn't been so bad, being alone with Riku in the dark realm. The prospect of being there, forever, being the darkness itself…it hadn't seemed so scary, so…wrong…not if Riku was going to be beside him through it all.

"_It's always closer than you think."_

"I've figured it out," a soft, feminine voice called from the edge of the island. Kairi was standing near the bridge, hands clasped behind her back, a small, forced smile cracking her porcelain skin.

"What?" Sora asked, turning to look at the girl as she moved slowly towards them.

"The letter. The King's letter."

"What about it?" Riku shrugged.

"We need to answer it! We can't go out there by ourselves, we know that. But, if we answer the letter, maybe the King can send someone to get us!"

"What do you mean?" the brunette asked again, pouting to himself.

"The King wrote us a letter, a message in a bottle. Sora, you found my message in the Darkness, didn't you?"

"He did," Riku answered, not bothering to wait for Sora to answer himself.

"So we can assume that the King would get _our_ message, if we sent it out, in a bottle!"

"Hey! Yeah!" Sora cried, bounding off of the tree and clapping his hands together happily.

Finally, something was happening. If this worked, he could fight again. He wouldn't have to worry about his mother and Kairi and Riku…because he'd be doing something about it.

Kairi smiled at him and nodded before her violet eyes were cast downward and her feet dug into the sand.

"Don't…don't leave me behind this time, okay?" she whispered.

"Kairi…"

"I mean it, Sora. You left me last time. Both of you did! I know you're going to say I'm safer here, and I know both of you are going to fight. And…I'm coming with you this time."

"Kairi, there's a reason we'd say that," Riku chided.

"I don't care, Riku!" the girl snapped. "I don't want…I just don't want to be left behind anymore, okay? Is that so much to ask?"

Sora worried his lower lip and cast a glance over at Riku, who shrugged and sighed in defeat.

"Okay, Kairi. You can come this time," the small teen muttered.

"Good," Kairi answered, brushing a lock of auburn hair behind her ear and sniffling.

Sora nodded, and Kairi turned on her heel, promising to meet up with them later and murmuring a soft 'thank you'.

"Sora…" Riku whispered as the two watched their friend disappear into the shack.

"Yeah?"

"I don't want to lose you this time."

The brunette turned, casting a bewildered gaze at the older teen, who was staring resolutely into the sun.

Something in Sora's heart swelled, and he reached out to grab hold of Riku's hand, pressing his thumb into the other's palm.

"I don't want to lose you this time, either."


	3. In Burts of Ink

Author's Note: Sorry this took forever for me to update. I've been suffering with writer's block a lot lately, so updates might be kind of scarce for a while. Also, I've decided to start focusing on some original works too, so that will take up a good amount of my time. If you're interested in reading those at all, they will eventually be found on my writing LiveJournal, which I believe there is a link to in my profile.

On another note, I'm looking for a beta-reader. If you're interested, let me know in a review, please? Thank you!

_The Starfall Exequies_

Chapter Two: "In Bursts of Ink"

His heart was racing, pumping boiling blood and bursts of adrenaline through his aching frame. Sweat beaded on his brow, dampening his spiked bangs and gluing them to his flushed skin as he struggled to pull in breath after breath of stinging, salty air.

Beginning it's descent beyond the horizon, the sun was slowly relenting its tiresome assault on Sora's body, as the teen gathered his strength and lunged forward.

A small wooden sword slashed angrily through the air, the brunette attached to it twisting to dodge invisible monsters and gnashing his teeth.

It was light, this sword, too light, and the worry that he would grow used to its weight plagued him, chewing at a corner of his mind with a satisfied smirk. It was possible for him to train too much, to favor the easy swing of the toy and loose his smooth handle on the Keyblade.

If that happened, if Sora could no longer wield the Keyblade, then darkness would devour everything, and it would be his fault.

But if Sora did not train, if he did not spend hours of his day practicing, he would not be strong enough to fight.

And if Sora did not train, if he did not find anything to distract him from the skies, he would go mad.

When wooden sword was out of hand, Sora did nothing but watch for the streak of smoke that would signal the arrival of the Gummi ship, or he would wait for nightfall, and count the stars that disappeared in bursts of ink.

Growling to himself, Sora sprang forward once more, the slowly growing shadows sneering at him from the corner of his vision.

As his feet shifted through the sand, his body curled through the air and a voice called his name softly.

"I've been looking for you all day," Riku continued, smiling at the brunette as Sora turned to face him, still breathing hard.

Sapphire eyes darting back and forth, Sora took a moment to catch his breath, surveying Riku's expression before speaking.

"Train with me?" he asked, lowering his toy sword and gazing expectantly at his friend.

"What?" Riku replied, brows knitting together in confusion as he stepped towards the boy.

"Please, Riku?"

"Sora," the older teen chided, ruffling Sora's hair playfully, "You have to save your strength. Training will do no good; it will only wear you out."

Pouting, the brunette glanced at the ground, counting the grains of sand as silence fell over the small stretch of beach. There so many little, tiny pebbles in just a handful, and it was impossible to count them all. As soon as it was in hand, thousands of those grains just slipped away.

How many worlds had Sora let slip through his fingers in the last few days?

"I have to do something, Riku. I can't just sit and wait."

The older teen chose not to respond, only standing still, a shadow against the bright horizon. Sora raised eyes to watch him carefully, every second of silence passing like a wave of whips across his spine.

"No good will come of you wasting your strength like this," Riku responded finally, every ounce of playful scolding in the past as he stepped closer to his friend.

An indignant sigh found its way past Sora's lips as his knees buckled and he dropped to the ground, flopping backwards to lay on the soft sand.

"Besides, did you ever…" Riku whispered, biting back his words as soon as he heard how loudly they rang through the empty air.

"Did I ever what?" Sora asked, his voice heavy and buzzing with suspicion.

"Did you ever think that, maybe, you're not supposed to defeat the darkness. Maybe it's supposed to be here, coexisting with the light. Maybe you're just supposed to keep it calm, stop people who are misusing it."

"You don't think I'm strong enough to defeat it?" Sora snapped, casting a quick glare at his friend.

"No, Sora. I didn't mean it like that. What I mean is, I don't think anyone is capable of, or even supposed to defeat the darkness."

"I don't think I'm strong enough to do even that," he murmured, straining to keep his gaze from wandering amongst the few stars that were scattered against the sunset sky.

"How could you think that?" the other boy asked, crossing his legs to sit at Sora's side, his argent hair falling over one shoulder to curtain the brunette's world.

The soft hush of shifting sand filled Sora's ears as he shrugged and turned his head to the side.

Riku watched the years flash through his friend's face, a thousand memories playing against sapphire orbs and darkening their depths.

His final sorrow gleamed brightly there, struggling to hide in his mind's eye, yet remaining vibrant and obvious to the older teen.

"Sora, no. I - "

"I couldn't save you, Riku."

Sora's tone hardened and froze as he spoke, his throat drying and his hatred locking in his lungs. Every breath stung more and more as he waited for Riku's gaze to leave him, for the older teen to rise and pad slowly away.

"Don't you _ever_ blame that on yourself, Sora," he ground out through clenched teeth, reaching over to push Sora's face towards him, forcing the younger boy to look at him.

"But I…"

"You did nothing, Sora. None of it was your fault. Iwas the one who was too weak. I was the one who couldn't see the truth, and _I_ was the one who turned away from _you_."

"But if I had just been able to reach you…"

"Nothing would have changed. Maleficent still would have found me and used me."

"Everything would have changed, Riku," Sora squeezed his eyes shut as he spoke, fending off the hot jab of tears that welled behind them. "If I'd taken your hand, you would have been the Keyblade Master."

Finally, Riku dropped his hand away from Sora's cheek, and the boy took the opportunity to hide his face once again.

"You think I would have done better. You think that the darkness wouldn't have come back this time if I was the Keyblade Master?" The older teen's voice was low, his tone dangerous.

"I think you would have been strong enough."

A long sigh escaped Riku's lips and he threw himself backwards to join his stargazing friend in lying on the sand.

"If I'm as strong as you seem to think I am, I have you to thank for it, Sora," he murmured, raising a hand and splaying his fingers out against the now inky sky.

Sora watched as Riku's digits closed into a loose fist, as if grabbing at one of the stars that hung high and far. Perhaps he, like Sora, was wondering how many worlds were blinking out, how many stars were falling as they sat and talked of idle things.

"When you turn to the darkness, you gain unimaginable physical strength. But…it eats away at you, slowly. You start to break down, to lose yourself. Your body thrives, but your heart starts to…wither," the older boy continued, lowering his hand to his side, where it curled into a tight fist. "You start to feel empty."

Songbird eyes slide sideways, landing on Riku's frame and hating how tense it seemed, how far away the soft breeze of breath sounded as the silver-haired boy faded, passing into a world of his own.

"Riku…" Sora whispered, hoping to draw his friend back, keep him from slipping away again.

This was how Riku had been acting just before it all began.

"Sora, you kept fighting. Even after it seemed like everything was okay, even after Kairi was safe and I'd told you to take care of her, to stop worrying about me, you kept fighting," Riku's words were rushed and barely audible, his beryl eyes focused on nothing that could be found in this world.

"I had to find you," the younger boy murmured back, lifting his gaze to the sky once more and wincing as he watched a star blink and sputter.

"It saved me, Sora. If you'd stopped, no matter how hard I tried, I never would have been able to make it back."

"Riku, I - "

"So you have to be strong, Sora. For me."

As Riku spoke, he rolled over onto his side, planting a hand at Sora's side and hoisting himself up to hover above the small teen. He smiled down at Sora softly, and the brunette could almost here the urgent 'please' that longed to fall from his lips.

"I don't think I can," he answered, a heavy feeling of worthlessness racing through his nerves as he spoke.

Riku blinked, his smile melting away as his mind worked through Sora's words.

"What if I go with you?" he asked finally.

"What?"

"If I fight with you this time, we can be strong together."

Brows furrowing together, Sora stared up at his friend, surveying Riku's delicate features and wondering why the other boy's tone had been so velveteen.

"Yeah, we can," Sora replied, finding nothing suspicious in Riku's expression and allowing a small smile to play across his lips.

The older teen leaned closer then, his mouth hanging in the air above Sora's smile, releasing Sora's name in a gust of hot, heavy air before retreating quickly.

As Riku watched him, Sora made every effort not to let his expression change, to remain smiling and calm and pretend he wasn't frantically trying to figure out what would come next.

And as Riku found nothing to fear in the unchanging expression of the boy beneath him and - feeling ever so slightly encouraged - pressed his lips gently to Sora's, Sora made every effort to pull away, to feel ashamed and sinful and wrong, but he froze under the warm, quick spark of contact.

His limbs felt heavy and he could not lift them to scramble away from the older teen. His head felt dizzy and his heart felt light, and he could not sort through the how and the why of it all. He was breathing fast, and he could feel the blood rushing to his cheeks as Riku's expression hardened, his effort against conveying his anxiety just as tell-tale as if he'd allowed it to surface.

There was not a single sound hanging in the air between them, only the thundering crash of the waves beyond, roaring around them and shutting them off in a bubble of silence and wonder.

Finally, Sora found himself and his arms lifted. He reached behind him to lean on his elbows and attempt to slide out from under Riku, hoping the action would heal his dizzy head, and help his heart to stop floating around inside him.

But it only served to make his heart fly higher and his mind numb as Sora rose and Riku remained still, bringing them closer together, the heat of the older boy's solid frame causing the blood to rise further against Sora's skin.

Before Sora could again gather himself and melt his frozen limbs, before he could manage to slip away, he saw determination set in Riku's features.

A hand slipped into the chocolate strands at the nape of Sora's neck, and the boy sighed, tilting his head into the contact. As fingers brushed against his scalp, tangled in his hair, Sora's heart felt ready to burst, and his mind crashed around in his skull, cursing and screaming.

"Riku," he murmured, pulling away from the comfortable workings of his friend's hand and casting cerulean eyes to the ground.

Sora felt Riku's hand slip reluctantly away, felt the heat of his body recede slowly, and decided it was safe to breathe. But there was no room in his chest for air, it seemed, as his heart fluttered around and his head grumbled silently to itself.

"I'm sorry, Sora," Riku whispered, his voice sounding distant and faded and ringing with sorrow. "I really am, but…'

The brunette nodded absentmindedly, listening as Riku trailed off, his words melting into a breeze of a sigh.

"I…I don't understand," he muttered, leaning forward to cradle his angry head in his hands.

"I don't really understand it either, Sora. But, please, let me try to explain?"

"Riku, I - "

"Sora, _please,_" Riku pleaded, reaching over to take Sora's hands and fold them into his own.

The small teen sighed, lowering his gaze and attempting to work through the situation as his mind and heart buzzed around inside him.

"Alright," he whispered, feeling his hands shake nervously in Riku's.

"For a…Sora, I…" Riku started, his words tumbling over eachother and fleeing from his fractured tongue as he tried to piece his thoughts together.

A foreign voice cut through the air, calling both their names and drawing closer with each syllable.

Riku cursed under his breath and released Sora's hands, rising to slip away towards the water as Kairi came into view.

Sora pushed away the thoughts that had plagued him for the last few minutes, and instead focused on the approaching girl.

"Kairi?" he called, watching as she ran towards them, her face lit up in excitement.

"They're here!" she cried, placing her hands on Sora's shoulders and shaking him lightly.

"What?"

"Donald and Goofy! They're here!"


End file.
